LOOK OUT! Cat wearing giant plaid pants alert! (Giant as in the size of the plaid, not the size of the pants, although by cat standards, I guess these pants would be kinda large.)
Of course I love mixing super bright colors, but lately I’m deriving great satisfaction from mixing textures and patterns as well. Finding things that seem like they shouldn’t go together and putting them together anyway is oddly thrilling.
There’s geometry to it: the angular embroidery of this top next to the stripes of the sweater and plaid of the pants. I think it works, and the best part is, that’s all that really matters! Yeehaw.
- cat hat - gift from friends at MailChimp
- striped cardigan - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- embroidered button-down shirt - $18 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- plaid pants - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- two-tone cowboy boots - $22 Side Show in Hudson, NY
- TOTAL - $107
there’s more...
As I work my way toward this Winter’s wardrobe, I’m finding myself drawn to chunky textures, like the embroidery on this felted vest. Also in this category, I’ve picked up a pair of multi-colored woven trousers (dubbed “serious pants” by my Studiomate Rob), some thick wooly sweaters, and a truly MAGICAL poncho that I have not been able to stop wearing (it’s like walking around inside a hug).
I like this textural look because A.) it suits the chilly weather and B.) something about the irregularities of these handmade textures has me resembling a high school art teacher from the 70s, which of course I REALLY dig.
- embroidered vest - $20, Olive’s Very Vintage, Brooklyn NY
- ruffled dress with shell - $9, Downtown Brooklyn Goodwill
- red beads - $2 Brimfield Antiques Market
- red tights - $10, The Sock Man on St. Marks
- lucky cowboy boots - $40, Brooklyn Flea
- TOTAL - $81
there’s more...
Almost as if someone flipped a switch, Brooklyn woke up this past Friday to fall! I decided to celebrate with a BIG splash of color.
- striped satin dress - $24, Sweet Lorain in Cleveland
- purple cropped jacket - $13, East Village Buffalo Exchange
- purple belt - $4, My Sisters’ Closet in Minneapolis
- orange metal flower broach - $10, The Sundial of Starkville, MS
- buckle pumps - $25, Alameda Swap Meet
- TOTAL - $76
The story behind the stripes…
there’s more...
Here’s the look I chose for giving my TEDYou Talk. Holy moly was I nervous. Telling my Week’s Worth of Undies story plus showing the outfits plus sharing my Nothing-New Insights in only 3 minutes? Yikes! I really had my work cut out for me. Here’s my little story about how it all went down…
Before your talk, the awesome TED team will tell you, “When you get up on stage, take a deep breath, center yourself and then start.” So at approximately 8:45 a.m. on Thursday morning, I took the TEDActive stage, took my breath, opened my eyes and noticed the giant red numbers on the timer already glaring 0:22 seconds at me. What? In that spilt second, I made the decision to just go for it in a way that felt right, and not look at the timer again. Adrenaline kicked in, somehow I hit all my points, I kept myself from being startled when the audience laughed or cheered, and then, it was done. Standing ovation! I can’t even explain the feeling of relief and joy. I was incredulous. I was frozen in space and time. I nearly teared up, and then like a spirit guide, Ricki Lake jumped on stage (um, yeah, didn’t I mention she was moderating the session?) and announced, “For the record, that was about a minute and a half over, but she was so darn cute I couldn’t stop her!” I shook her hand with true gratitude, resisted the overwhelming urge to squeal, “I LOVE you, Ricki!” and exited stage left.
Nothing-New Insight #5
Confidence is the key. If you think you look good in something, you probably do. If you don’t think you look good, you’re also probably right. I was lucky enough to grow up with a mom who taught me this, but it took me until I was 30 to internalize its meaning: if you truly believe you’re a beautiful person inside and out, there’s really no look you can’t pull off.
- multi-colored bedazzled clip-ons- $7 Rancho Mirage Collector’s Corner
- lavender dress - $8 Cathedral City Angel View Thrift
- metallic pink belt - $3 Palm Springs Revivals
- purple boots - $9 Palm Springs Angel View Thrift
- TOTAL - $27
there’s more...
In keeping with this week’s theme of red and pink, I’m unveiling a brand new dress, found this weekend at the Brooklyn Flea. I was so excited to purchase this dress because while in theory I knew the tulip sleeve must exist, it is exceedingly rare. (I myself have never even seen a tulip sleeve in person.) I could barely contain my giddiness on the bus home from the Flea, and Creighton, goodness love him, actually acted just as excited. I guess it’s not hard to see why he’s the one for me.
Today deserves a very special dress because today is the first time an event (outside of Beer Friday) is being hosted in our Studiomates space! Two of my studiomates, Mandy Brown and Jason Santa Maria, are organizing a Typekit Talk with Tim Brown, and we’re expecting 75 attendees! Why wouldn’t I want to look my best?
- pink satin ribbon barrette - borrowed from my friend Casson
- pink beads - $2 Manhattan’s 23rd Street Salvation Army
- red wrap dress - $30 Jelly Roll at Brooklyn Flea
- purple tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- tan slouch cowboy boots - $48 Etsy (seller PureVintageClothing)
- TOTAL - $90
there’s more...
Who needs all those other silly colors when you’ve got pink and purple at hand? And adding smiley faces to the clouds? That’s nothing less than a touch of genius! This resplendent example of rainbowdom was created for me by the four-year-old Ella Joy as a thank you for helping her live her wish to be a Rainbow Princess for Halloween. As if seeing her excitement upon delivery of the costume wasn’t enough! Every time I look at this my heart becomes a puddle.
I also, totally unnecessarily, received a very generous Amazon thank you gift certificate, with which I almost immediately purchased this. Now I just need Kelli to come over and show me how to work it! Thank you, Ella (and Tina).
When I came across this flowery, faux tapestry vest in the thrift shop, I tried really hard to put it down but couldn’t. I’m pretty sure it’s because I owned its twin when I was in seventh grade (only I used to wear it with a ruffled peasant shirt). And when I saw these boots at the Alameda Swap Meet, I immediately adopted a new personal rule:
purple + suede = must have
This skirt was originally a children’s dress, and when I couldn’t get comfortable in the puffy sleeves, I decided it would work better if I cut the entire top off.
- chunky plastic necklace - borrowed from my mom
- vest - $2.00, Starkville Palmer Home Thrift
- felt hat - $1.40, Columbus Salvation Army Thrift
- striped skirt - $10.00, Jelly Roll at Brooklyn Flea
- suede boots - $10.00, Alameda Swap Meet
- TOTAL - $23.40
